Customer Reviews

Collins French Concise Dictionary, 4e (HarperCollins Concise Dictionaries) (English and French Edition)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Kindle users, be aware that this product is for the English-French section of the dictionary, NOT the French-English section!

Be warned that the Kindle edition splits the English-French and the French-English sections into 2 separate downloads and charges separately for each. In the English-French section, under "About this book," you'll find the words "Some Text." Indeed? It makes me wonder about the conversion process.

Kindle buyers beware! Whereas it is customary for foreign language learners to purchase either a monolingual or a two-way dictionary, this version is NEITHER. You only get English to French; so if you wish to read in French and need to look up a word, this is not the book for you. Having now taught foreign languages for 7 years, I find this disingenuous and unhelpful. It ought to state very clearly somewhere that you're receiving only half of a dictionary.

This is a great dictionary. It's a two way dictionary between English and French. It has over 230,000 entries and translations and a section covering basic grammatical principles. This is what I was looking for having in a single volume. It is portable/good size, it's got the content and the detail I need, it's got a nice print and it's cheap.

I looked at other dictionaries and they did not include any grammar at all. It is nice to have basic paradigms and summaries for a quick reference without having to go to a separate book. Also, I liked the fact that it included entries that were not in other dictionaries. I did a comparison of random terms across three or four major dictionaries and this one came out on top. It also had the most detail for the entries I happened to look up.

I have other dictionaries from the Collins series besides this one and I really like them. I highly recommend this product.

This is half of a language dictionary. It allows you to look up an English word and find a basic French translation, but not the converse. I'm not sure why anyone has given it a positive review because it is functionally worthless.

I am learning French at the local Alliance Francaise. As my French has improved, I had to move from my basic French dictionary to a more comprehensive one. I find the dictionary to be user friendly and I rarely fail to find the word that I am looking for. I find the dictionary helpful in learning and understanding modern French. It also provides comprehensive guidance to the use of French grammar which is often a challenge.

The author uses various typefaces, sizes of type, symbols and abbreviations to present information. The phonetic expression of each word is given which is very important since the French words often sound very different from similar English words.

I find the dictionary very useful and handy because it is packed with valuable information as well as containing almost all the words one is likely to encounter when studying French.

I have spent nine months working in Paris and learning French. I brought the 3rd edition with me and was using it all the time during my stay, which included taking classes and reading. When I returned to the states for three months, instead of bringing the dictionary, I purchased the newer version. It is a very good dictionary. It not only has almost all the words I look up, it also contains a grammar section as well as information about many of the words including for example, what preposition follows the verbs - e.g. venir - de and many many more. I highly recommend it

As of September 30, 2010, what other reviewers say is true. This dictionary only has English entries that are translated to French. It looks like the digital publisher intended to sell the French entries translated to English as Volume 2, but this is not available in the U.S.

So is this product worthless? Not exactly. If you know French better than English, you could install this as your default dictionary, read an English book and see the words you don't know translated to French when you click on them. I have not tested this, but in theory it should work this way.

The Kindle is not bad hardware, but as with most things digital, poorly designed software and digital content are holding it back. Of course, good Kindle editions could pull it up to a new level. This product is not a good Kindle adaptation.

Do NOT buy if you want to translate from french to english - it does not. This should have been made clear in the description. I'm pretty disappointed.

I love this dictionary! I've had many foreign language dictionaries over the years, and this one is exceptional. The size is perfect - not tiny, but not huge. The entries are very clear and include some useful usage tips. There's also a substantial section on grammar at the end (254 pages). This section is thorough but also simple and clearly laid-out. Honestly, I've never had a dictionary with such a handy grammar summary -- it's perfect to use as a quick reference so you don't have to consult a textbook every time you forget some grammatical detail.